uwe1 The 1998 Buick LeSabre Owner's Manual 1-1 2-1 Seats and Restraint Systems This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the "SRS" system. Features and Controls This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle. 3- 1 4-1 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system. Your Driving and the Road Here you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions. 5-1 Problems on the Road This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc. 6- 1 Service and Appearance Care Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and loolung good. 71 8- 1 Maintenance Schedule This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use. Customer Assistance Information This section tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service and owner publications. It also gives you information on "Reporting Safety Defects" on page 8-8. 9- 1 Index Here's an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read. r am- We support voluntary technician certification. p?J CERTIFIED GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,BUICK, the BUICK Emblemand the name LESABRE are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve theright to make changes in the product after that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitutethe name "General Motors of Canada Limited" for Buick Motor Division whenever it appears inthis manual. Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be there if you ever need it when you're on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it. WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH National Institute for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE For Canadian OwnersWho Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propribtaires canadiens:Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire de ceguide en franGais chez votre concessionaire ou au: DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1577 Meyerside Dr. Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1B9 Litho inU.S.A. Part No. 25655109 C First Edition 0Copyright General Motors Corporation 1998 All Rights Reserved ii How to Use this Manual Many peopleread their owner's manual from beginning to end whenthey first receivetheir new vehicle. If you do this, it will help you learn about the features and controls for yourvehicle. In this manual, you'll find thatpictures and words work together to explain things quickly. h!~ CAUTION: These mean there something that could hurt is you or other people. In the caution area, tell you what the hazard is. Then we we tell you what to do tohelp avoid or reduce the hazard. Pleaseread these cautions.If you don't, you or others couldbe hurt. You will also find a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means "Don't," "Don't do this" or "Don't let this happen.'' A I Index A good placeto look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list of what's in the manual, and the page number where you'll find it. Safety Warnings and Symbols You will find a number of safety cautions inthis book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about thingsthat could hurtyou if you were to ignore the warning. iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: NOTICE: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. In the notice area, we tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. iv Vehicle Symbols These aresome of the symbols you may find on your vehicle. For example, these symbols are used on an original battery: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC BATTERY ACID COULD CAUSE BURNS A These symbols are important for you and your passengers whenever your vehicle is driven: These symbols have to do with your lamps: These symbols are on some of your controls: WINDSHIELD WIPER These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights: Here are some other symbols you may see: DOOR LOCK UNLOCK TURN SIGNALS e WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER COOLANT TEMP BAllERY CHARGING SYSTEM I-1 h FUSE LIGHTER t u FASTEN SEAT BELTS BRAKE POWER WINDOW SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BATTERY m ,111, DAYTIME * RUNNING * ' LAMPS ' * * 0 WINDOW DEFOGGER ENGINE OIL PRESSURE VENTILATING FAN cz e, SPEAKER FUEL () 0 B V FOG LAMPS $0 ANTI-LOCK BRAKES (@) fi NOTES vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you'll find information about the seats in your Buick and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also learn about somethings you should not do with air bags and safety belts. 1-2 1-5 1-9 1-10 1- 10 1-17 1-18 1-18 1-25 Seats and Seat Controls Safety Belts: They're for Everyone Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts and the Answers How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly Driver Position Safety BeltUse During Pregnancy Right FrontPassenger Position Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Center PassengerPosition 1-26 1-29 1-32 1-35 1-47 1-50 1-50 1-50 Rear Seat Passengers Rear Safety Belt ComfortGuides for Children and Small Adults Children Child Restraints Larger Children Safety Belt Extender Checking Your Restraint Systems Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash 1-1 Seats and SeatControls This section tellsyou about the seats -- how to adjust them -- and also about recliningseatbacks and head restraints. Manual FrontSeat You can lose control of the vehicle if try to you adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you Pull up on the control bar under the frontof the seat to don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it, then the vehicle is not moving. release the bar and try to move the seat with your body to make surethe seat is locked into place. 1-2 Power Seat(If Equipped) Rear Control:Raise the rear the seat by pushing the of switch on the left. Lower the of the seat by pushing rear the switchon the right. Reclining Front Seatbacks . The power seat controls are on the armrest. To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outerofside Center Control:Move the seat forward or backward by the seat and move the seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock the seatback. Pull up on the or pushing the control on the frontback. Raise the seat by pushing the control on the left. Lower the seat by lever and the seat will go to an upright position. pushing the control on the,right. Front Control:Raise the front the seat by pushing of the left side the switch. Push the right sidethe of of switch to lower the front the seat. of 1-3 But don't havea seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. Sitting in a recmea position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts can't do their job when you're reclined like this. The shoulder belt can't do its because it job won't be against your body. Instead, it will be in front of you. In a crash you could go into it, receiving neckor other injuries. The lap belt can't doits job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly. Head Restraints Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. 1-4 Safety Belts: They're for Everyone This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts properly. It also tells you some things you should notdo with safety belts. And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), or air bag system. I It is extremelydangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas aremore likely to be seriously injured orkilled. Do not allow peopleto ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle isin a seat andusing a safety belt properly. Don't let anyone ride where he or she can'twear a safety belt properly. If you are ina crash and you're not wearing a safety belt, your injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously injured orkilled. In the same crash, might you not beif you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts are fastened properlytoo. 1-5 Az! - FASTEN BELTS Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. (See "Safety Belt Reminder Light" in the Index.) Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here's why: They work. You never know if you'll be in acrash. If you do have a crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one. A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed. After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter ... a lot! I .. . . Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat on wheels. 1-6 Put someone on it. Get it up to speed.Then stop the vehicle. The rider doesn't stop. 1-7 T b person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could bethe windshield ... or the instrument panel ... a ...